Secrets and lies abound in Echenoz's latest wry sendup of the spy thriller, which features a mysterious colonel, a reluctant secret agent, a magnetic beauty and a vanished husband. The shadowy Continue reading » Helen recalls her childhood during the Nazi occupation of France and the mounting persecution of the Jewish people.

Star of Fear, Star of Hope Paperback – Illustrated, 1 Aug. 2000 Star of Fear, Star of Hope Paperback – Illustrated, 1 Aug. 2000

French-Vietnamese–born Lê (Slander) weaves a dense, lush tale exploring the chasm between West and East, between the lives of pampered immigrants and the family left behind. Three young Continue reading » Van Cauwelaert's trademark absurdist-existential angst is evident again in this follow-up to his Prix Goncourt–winning debut, One-Way The latest novel by Echenoz, who won France's Medici Prize for Cherokee , justifies the cliched description ``a roller-coaster ride,'' not just because of its wild velocity but also because it Continue reading »A non-Jewish girl named Helen who lives in France. Helen has a best friend by the name of Lydia and Helen begins to wonder many things about her friend. Lydia is forced to wear a yellow star and Helen doesn’t understand why her friend has to wear it all the time. Helen also gets confused by people disappearing and why people are hiding and using strange names. The distressing events of the Holocaust are shown with new eyes from an outside perspective to aid students in understanding this troublesome time. Star of Hope, Star of Fear by Jo Hoestlandt is a remarkable book that details the struggle faced by children during WWII and the Holocaust. This book is especially interesting because it is from the perspective of a non-Jewish girl rather than a Jewish girl as books from this time period typically do. Modiano, winner of the 2014 Nobel Prize for literature, recounts, in laconic, clear-eyed prose, his youth and coming of age in post-WWII Paris. Modiano, the son of a cold, hard actress mother and a Continue reading »

Star of Fear, Star of Hope - Jo Hoestlandt - Google Books Star of Fear, Star of Hope - Jo Hoestlandt - Google Books

French author Thilliez’s exceptional thriller, a sequel to 2012’s Syndrome E, poses a chilling question: what if a “violence gene” passed down from prehistoric man has concealed itself in Continue reading » It's hard to determine why this spoof of an espionage thriller won the European Literature Prize in 1990. As far as spoofs go, it's pretty good-but Echenoz doesn't really do anything that's not done Continue reading »

About the contributors

In a sensitive and poignant portrayal of the events of the Holocaust, Star of Fear, Star of Hope introduces children to this difficult, but important topic. Pioneering gallery owner Leo Castelli (1907–1999) arrived in New York City in 1941 and opened a gallery 15 years later, at the age of 50. He reigned over New York's art world, with the Continue reading » Set in France, during the Nazi occupation of World War II, a gentile child named Helen recalls the mounting persecution of her Jewish friend. She wonders why does her best friend, Lydia, have to wear a yellow star? Why are people in hiding and using strange names? What is Lydia afraid of? Touching upon the Holocaust with sensitivity and poignancy, Star of Fear, Star of Hope will help readers understand this difficult event in history.